Automobile indicator



Sept. 23 l 924 1,509,767 C. A. OTOOLE 1 AUTOMOBILE INDICATOR led June 23 192] 2 Sheets-Shea. l

. J -11, qlpflj E E INVENTOR 1,509,767 'TOOLE AUTOMOBILE INDICATOR 1921 2' sheets-sh: 2

Filed June 23,

Sept. 23 1924.

0 A. 070015 Br ATTORNEYS I l l WVQMW Patented Sept, 23, 1924,

imam? PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. OTOOLE, OF BROOKLYN, NEViT YORK.

AUTOMOBILE INDICATOR.

Application filed June 23, 1921. Serial No. 479,774.

' a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklymin the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented'a new and Improved Automobile Indicator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.. This invention rection indicator.

It has for an object the provision of simple, strong and efficient means readily attachable for use with any type of automobile, whereby the direction of movement of the automobile can clearly and unmistakably be indicated. in both directions.

A further object resides in the provision of means wherebythe natural position and relates to automobile diinclination of the indicating device, when moved to exhibiting position, will clearly indicate the change in direction in addition to any signs or marks which may be placed thereon.

A still further object resides inthe provision of means whereby this direction indicator can be as conveniently observed from the front as from. the rear of the vehicle.

A still further object'resides in the particular construction and arrangement of parts whereby the economy of manufacture and operation is reduced to, a minimum, while, at the same time, the strength and eificiency of the apparatus is maintained at a maximum.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings, in whichi i ,Figure 1 is a side view of anautomobile, preferably a closed type, showing. the indicator disposed on the top thereof;

v Figure 2 is a. vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure 3;

,Figure 3 is a plan View of the device;

Figure4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4, showing. one of the indicating devices in its elevated or exhibiting position.

each one of which is provided with flange The preferred form of my invention as illustrated in the drawings, is applicable to any type of automobile, although I have shown it as applied to a closed type of car represented by the numeral 1 and the indicating device .is represented by the numeral 2 located on the top or roof thereof.

This indicating device or unit comprises preferably a long narrow casing, preferably made of sheet metal and designated by the numeral 3 in Figure 4. This casing is provided 'along its bottom edge with a plurality of apertures, suchas 4. These apertures are aligned with the normal axis of movement of a plurality of cores 5. These cores are associated with magnets, such as 6, and are disposed for movement within sheet metal cylinders 7. These magnets are wound with any desired number of turns and kind of wire adapted to give the required magnetic pull on the cores 5. The upper ends of the cylinders 7 for each magnet are adapted to be swaged or otherwise fitted into suitable apertures in a plate 10.

This plate is madeof sheet metal and is preferably as shown in Figure 3, in the form of a semi-circle. The plate 10 is further provided with depressions 11 throughout its surface, each depression being provided with an aperture 12. Any moisture or water which may form or collect on the plate, may pass off through these apertures.

A portion of the plate 10 acts as a closure for the top of the casing or .container 3. The set of magnets 6 used and contained within the casing, are supported along their upper edges from a flange plate 13. which.

i by reason of a flange 14, is suitably fastened to the side wall of thecasing 3;

Theu-pper end of each core 5 is connected to a link 15, which in turn is pivotally connected to a yoke member 16 fastened to any suitable portion of an indicator platmisuch as 17. As shown in Figure 8, there are five indicator plates made of sheet metal, and

portions 18 along its edges. Each of these plates 17 is pivoted on a shaft 19, which extends through. suitable apertures in each plate and is fastened at its ends in upturned flange portions on each end of the diametrical edge of the plate 10.

It will be noted from a consideration of Figure 3 particularly that each of these five exhibiting or indicating plates is shaped to fill up a certain angular portion of the semicircle and'thatnormally these plates lie fiat along the upper surface of the semicircular plate 10. Disposed around the periphery of the plate 10 are a number of pads or cushions 21adapted to cushion the impactof the plates 17 as they. are dropped into their non-exhibiting position whenever the magnets become de-energized.

Consequently, if the indicator plate marked Right is elevated, as in Figure 3, the natural slope of this plate will indicate the general direction of the intent of movement without the necessity of marking the word Right on the plate. The

same general function applies to the plate which in turn is connected to .ifor operation by the driver for designating aleft-hand movement. In other words, Whenever eachplate is exhib ited, it occupies a definite angular portion of the semi-circular space taken up by all of the plates, and, consequently, the mere position offthe plate outsi cle'of its designation will indicate the intended operation without any markings. i

In Figure 2,1 have shown one end of the magnet Wire, such as 22, rounded on the plate 13,and the other end of the magnet 'W-ire. such'as 28, connected to a switch 24. I a battery 25 grounded 'at 26'. Each of the magnets is connected to a separate switch, all of which switches" are connected in multiple to the battery 25; The switches inay be of any suitable form or type and conveniently located of the car. Vvhcuever-anypa'rticular switch operated. the corresponding indicator plate is moved up into position.

A person who is familiar with this type of indicator, will at on'ce appreciate from the angularposition of the indicator just what operation is about to take place, even though :he "cannot see 'the marking on the elevated plate. This ispa'rticularly true since in this indicator device, no two plates occupy,

"of indicator when elevated,"the same space. This particular feature isnot common to any type now used, since in most cases where elevated plates or arms are used, the

Back, wei t, Le'ft) and various arms, when elevated, occupy substantially the same space, so that the observer must see the marking on each plate to lrnow iuihat'operation is impending "The various movements, such as Slow, I Stop are indicated or marked 'on both the front and back ofeach plate." The device is preferably located on the top of the car whenever convenient, since in this position it is as easily observed from the front as from the rear, and in fact from all general forward or rearward directions.

The cores 5 it will be observed. are so disposed that in order to elevate the device, they are pulled upwardly. In other words. to elevate the plates, current is consumed to energize the magnet, the plates returning to non-exhibiting position by means of their weight and the weight of the connected parts.

This whole device is made of light, strong, sheet metal, preferably aluminum, and is exceedingly compact and rugged.

lVhatI claim is:

1. An indicating device comprisinga semi circular plate or support adapted tobe disposed horizontally on the top of an automobile with the diametrical edge preferably facing forward of the automobile, a plurality of pivoted signal arms pivoted at one end to the plate along the diamctrical edge and adapted when actuated to be moved to a vertical position along this edge, the plurality of signal arms adapted to lie normally fiat on the support and to cover its entire surface, each arm occupying a definite portion of the plate one of said arms shaped ,to extend vertically when elevated, the others of said arms shaped to point in directions to the right and to the left. from the vertical when elevated, whereby theclevation of each arm will indicate a certain impending direction of movement.

2. An indicating device comprising a semicircular plate or support adapted to be disposed horizontally on the top'of an automobile with the diametrical edgepreferahly facing forward ofthc automobile, a plurality of pivoted signal arms pivoted at one end to the platealong the diametrical edge and adapted when actuated to be moved to :1 vertical position along this edge. the plural ity of signal arms adapted to lie normally flat on the support and .to cover its entire surface, each arm occupying a definite portion of the plate, one of said arms shaped to extend vertically when elevated, the others of said arms shaped to point in directions to the right and to the left from the vertical when elevated. whereby the elevation oteach arm will indicate a certain impending direction of movement and a cushioning means disposed along the curved edge of the support to cushion the ends of the pivoted signal plate.

3. An indicating device including a flat semicircular support, a plurality of signal arms pivoted to said support along its diametrical edge and filling up the entire area of the support when lying normally flat thereon, an enclosed casing disposed beneath the front surface of the support adjacent the diametrical edge, a plurality of magnetic means Within said enclosed casing, and connections between said magnetic means and the signal arms whereby they may be elevated to a vertical position, each arm. When ele vated indicating by a character on the arm and its angular position in the semicircular area, the character of the signal one of said arms shaped to extend vertically When elevated, the others of said arms shaped to point in directions to the right and to the left from 10 the vertical when elevated, whereby the elevatlon of each arm Wlll indicate a certam impending directlon of movement.

CHARLES A. OTOOLE. 

